‘Removal Of Fuel Subsidy Pushes Me Into Robbery’- Bolt Driver, Adeniran Jeremiah Confesses

‘Removal Of Fuel Subsidy Pushes Me Into Robbery’- Bolt Driver, Adeniran Jeremiah Confesses

A 29-year-old bolt driver, Adeniran Jeremiah has been arrested over alleged armed robbery and blamed the increase in fuel pump price caused by the removal of fuel subsidy for his actions.

Jeremiah was arrested by Lagos State Police Command for leading a three-man gang that specializes in robbing night crawlers, especially women.

The suspect, it was learned robbed a lady who was on her way to the popular Fela shrine but luck ran against the bolt driver when he was recognized by the lady he robbed at a supermarket where he went to buy something and she raised the alarm.

The suspect was paraded among other suspects on Friday at the Police Command headquarters, Ikeja before Journalists.

He said, "I am a graduate accounting student from a University in the Republic of Benin. I took to bolt driving because of lack of jobs but I was able to take care of my bills, until the recent removal of the Fuel Subsidy by the federal government.

“After things became hard and unbearable for me, so I decided to join another company called Rider. Thinking I would get relief from the rider company, yet the increase in fuel pump price didn’t allow me to make a profit from the rider company.

“It was then I started thinking of different businesses to alleviate my suffering so the devil sold the idea of robbing passengers into my mind I then contacted two of my friends who aligned with me in the plan.

“We then strategies on how to carry out our operation, my gang members will pose as passengers in the vehicle while I pretend as if I don’t know them. So when we arrived at a lonely place I will pretend I had a flat tyre to the passenger, so when I tried to check the tyre my guys would have been hiding would come out and threaten me with arms and order me to go to the back of the vehicle and still did same to our victim.

“If any of the victims tried to resist I would then join hands to deal with such a victim to succumb to us, we started the robbery operation one month ago and we have made up to N 2. 10 million and we have also shared N 700,000 each.

“We don’t rob how the person we see on the road, we size up our target, and the most vulnerable are mostly ladies who visit clubs at night. We will collect their money, phones, and other valuables.

“On the fateful day I was arrested I narrowly escaped been lynch if not for the divine intervention of good Nigerians who pleaded I should be handed over to the police. I went to do shopping in a mini supermarket in Ikotun where a female victim we had robbed recognized me and raised the alarm that I was among those who robbed her.

“I was not in a mask during the robbery operation so she recognized me and I couldn’t deny her. I was immediately taken to the police station.

“I regret that I was not patient enough as I was on the fast lane to beat the economic hardship imposed on us by the fuel subsidy removal.

“My advice to the youths is that they should be patient in whatever they do so as not to go astray. but to be candid taxi drivers, especially Uber, Bolt, and Riders are not finding the fuel subsidy removal funny as we don’t make gains as we used to make it and we also cannot take care of our daily needs anymore.”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer(PPRO), SP Benjamin Hundeyin addresses journalists on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, CP Idowu Owohunwa said the suspect was arrested July 17, 2023, after a lady who booked a ride from him at Ikotun after a while the driver said he had a flat tyre and said he wanted to fix it.

Hundeyin said the driver parked where his gang hide, and immediately after he parked gang members came out from where their hideout at that point, the passenger never knew the driver of the ride was part of the gang.

“The driver and the passenger were forced to go to the back seat of the vehicle and one of the gang took over the vehicle. When they now got to their hideout the driver then came out and showed his face and even threatened to stab the lady if she didn’t give up her things.

“The victim’s phone and other valuables were collected from her. The suspect claimed that is what they do every day for a living.”

He, however, warns passengers to be careful of the kind of vehicle they board at night. While the suspect would be charged in court after the completion of the investigation.